Spurs' guard Manu Ginobili blocked a shot by Celtics' forward Kevin Garnett during the Spurs beatdown of the Celtics 94-73 this past Sunday. Some people are now calling it the best block of the year. I'm not sure about that or even if it was a block. What do you think- was this a block or should there have been a foul called on Ginobili or George Hill?
The play is certainly quite dramatic as you see a Hall of Famer get taken down by a guard. But if you look more closely there is contact that makes it difficult to decide if it was good defense or if the officials made a mistake.
At 0:32 seconds it appears that there was a substantial, & significant, amount of contact-
What do you think- was this a foul or a good play?
Personally, i think the officials missed three fouls. The first foul is Hill pushing KG in the lower back with his left hand. If you miss that foul then what about Hill's right hand/forearm on KG's right forearm? Lastly, if you look at the picture, Ginobili's left hand is clearly on KG's right wrist. If your claim is that Ginobili's hand ended up on KG's hand after the block, that's just not possible. Ginobili is going in the opposite direction of KG, so his momentum would carry him (and his arm) in the opposite direction on, or above, the ball if he initially blocked the ball.
Since the play happens so quickly it's somewhat understandable that the officials missed Ginobili's foul. But the officials have no excuse for missing Hill's fouls. Ginobili is an excellent defender but he shouldn't get credit for this block.
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